The aim of the article is to shed light on the historical development of language studies in military and social context and to compare the current status of NATO Stanag (Standard Agreement) 6001 language scale with Common European Framework (CEF). Language studies in military context date back to World War II and the emergence of Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) can be considered the first initiative on this path. In 1976, NATO adopted a language proficiency scale related to the Interagency Language Roundtable's 1968 document and this scale was finally updated in 2003 and has been put into practice by member countries since then. On the other hand, in European context, language studies have undergone some changes since the signature of the European Cultural Convention in 1954. Finally, Common European Framework emerged for the standardization of language studies throughout Europe in 2001. When two scales are compared there are similarities in some aspects but minor differences especially in terminology and topics.